Europe has been in the works since January of 2013 when Callie very first opened her mission call. Once we all recovered from the shock of WHERE she was going, we immediately started making plans to go see it as a family when she got back.
Callie did not want us to pick her up from her mission, so we opted to go back as a family the following spring after she returned home in December 2014. Plans were set, travel agent contacted, trip on the calendar----and Whit found out she was pregnant, due right after we intended to go. :) So---we decided to push it back a year.
Fast forward one year, and this time we were good to go. Whitney was (again) pregnant, as well as Ashlee (due a a week apart! So exciting!), but they were only barely pregnant. We knew we were safe to go ahead with the trip and everybody would be able to come for at least part of it.
Babysitters (angels) were arranged for all the kids. Work and school items were finalized, and we were READY TO GO! After 2 years of planning, we were on our way!
Off to the airport we went---giddy, excited, kid-free (we cried hugging them goodbye), and ready to begin our trip!!
May 10th: Departure!!
SLC---->Amsterdam---->Edinburgh:
(ready to board---we're coming for you Europe!)
(everybody looking fresh before our 9 hour flight---landing at 2 am USA time---mid-morning in Europe)
ARRIVING AT AMSTERDAM
Boarded another flight. Next stop Edinburgh!
Arrived! EDINBURGH
(waiting for our car rental---welcome to driving on the wrong side of the road!)
EDINBURGH DAY 1
Once we picked up our rental cars, we checked in to the Holiday Inn & Express. We took a quick nap to recover from the flight, freshened up, and headed out to explore the city! Day 1 begins.....
Walking around town. Headed towards Edinburgh Castle
First big meal in Europe---an awesome pizza diner! GREAT pizza, and a good way to ease us into European food. Nobody tried haggus, but if Devin had been there he would have ordered it for sure! Then back to our hotel to attempt to recover from jet lag :)
Day 2: EDINBURGH--PRATTS HILL
EXPLORING THE MISSION SITES
(mission home: Edinburgh)
Visiting Callie's actual flat in Pollock (and visiting the current missionaries living there).......
Visiting East Kilbride. Callie's flat was on the top level above the bridal store. Then we walked to the city center to eat at the mall food court........
OLD COURSE--Rog and Davis golfed the famous Old course while we traveled around to see Callie's mission areas (Devin was heartbroken to miss this).........
Off to Inverness----3.5 hour drive
INVERNESS
(Hotel: Premier Inn)
Inverness was beautiful!! We stayed right along the river---such a beautiful town!
We hurried to get to LochNess castle that evening. Whitney threw up on the side of the road on the way home from this castle. That started day 1 of many in Europe of watching nauseated and puking pregnant sisters. :)..........
We came back and walked along the river/through town a bit before going to bed......
INVERNESS DAY 2
Bike ride through town and Urchardt Castle. We attempted to first see the Isle if Skye, but had to turn around after being stopped completely on the road for an hour due to a fatal car accident up ahead. There was no way out but to turn around and go back the way we came. We finished the night with dinner at a Chinese buffet along the river.........
(Urchardt Castle).............
INVERNESS DAY 3
We walked through town to catch a bus that would take us through the Highlands, where we then boarded a ferry to head over to Stornoway. Poor Ash and Whit....the beginning of a very rough week for them.
Arrived in Stornoway! Picked up our two rental cars (one was affectionately named the prison van). First stop, Callie's flat!........
STORNOWAY DAY 2
Church in the local branch where Callie served----a tiny building right by Callie's flat. Visitors made up majority of the congregation since there were 8 in our family and the missionary couple had 3 visitors. We had Relief Society in the hall in a little nook. One of the best Sundays ever, and so fun to see where Callie spent so much time!
After church Bella was kind enough to show us around and take us to the famous sites Callie had always talked about..........
STORNOWAY BLACK HOUSES (ISLE OF HARRIS)
CALLANISH STONES (Isle of Harris): 5000 years old
STORNOWAY DAY 3
Turned in our prison van/rental car, and boarded an early flight to DUBLIN
(Hotel in Dublin: Clarion)
Exploring Dublin: Once checked in, we went hot-tubbing (most of the hotel guests wore swim caps!) and then got ready to go explore Dublin. We took a city bus (after having to walk back to a Tesco to get bus change) and rode to the center of town and saw Trinity College, ate in an awesome pub, shopped for souvenirs at Carrolls, bought Irish candy, and returned home late at night. We had our first experience with legitimate pick-pocketers here.
DUBLIN DAY 2:
BLARNEY CASTLE (kissed the Blarney Stone)
(next we drove to our house rental in Kilarney---the Indian house)
RING OF KARRY (missing the pregos. A good decision since it was so windy!) followed by dinner at a fancier pub. (chicken wings were a group favorite in Europe!!)
The following day we left Kilarney to drive to Shannon to pick up Devin from the airport, and headed to Galway. We stopped at Dromolond Castle (hotel) first, and then headed to the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher (a.k.a "Cliffs of Insanity" on Princess Bride). 750 feet high, and NO guard rail. A great site to see!!
(the whole group---9 travelers!)
GALWAY
We then left to head to Galway. We first stopped in a little town to find a pharmacy who could supply some anti-nausea meds for Ash. They couldn't give her anything, and recommended she see a local doctor. (At this point she couldn't keep anything down at all, and her U.S. doctor couldn't help her while she was out of the country.) Unfortunately, the doctor couldn't do much and recommended she be seen in a hospital if she did not improve. We ate lunch (at Subway) and walked around town a little, and then headed to our hotel.
GALWAY
Hotel:bed and breakfast----glass sun room! Our favorite!
Ashlee and Roger decided to go ahead and take Ashlee to the hospital that night. She was admitted for severe dehydration. We went to visit her (and were blown away by socialized medicine!) Roger was not allowed to stay with her overnight, but she had to stay for IV fluids. She was released the next morning (and after her first ultrasound of the little peanut! Not every pregnancy that you hear a heart beat for the first time in Europe!)
While they were checking her in, we spent the evening in Galway where we ate a pub and listened to a local guitarist/singer.........
(Ash and Roger decided at this point to forego the last couple days of the trip and changed their flights to go home early. Thanks to socialized medicine, they were not charged a thing, received a reduce hotel rate in order to take a taxi to the airport, and did not have to pay to change her flight.)
Ash was not released from the hospital until late morning the following day. We picked her up from the hospital, and then drove to their hotel in Dublin to drop them off and let them check in. The boys then stayed behind because they wanted to see the Irish Open. Dad and us girls (minus Ash) drove 4 hours to Belfast, and the Devin & Davis drove on their own later that night (leaving Rog behind to fly out with Ash).
In Belfast, we stayed in a rental home from a guy who had a huge house with a lot of paintings of naked women (and mildewed clothes in the dryer).
Davis and Devin played golf in a local course that afternoon/evening while us girls (and dad) explored and visited Callie's area & the Lisburn ward.
(Callie's flat----a local member's basement turned apartment)
Lisburn ward mutual night followed by dinner at Boojums (so good---like a Chipotle. Irish food was better than Scottish food).........
BELFAST DAY 2
GIANTS CAUSEWAY
(A favorite on our restaurant list! Best diet coke and shortbread cookies!)
Carrick-a-Rede ROPE BRIDGE AND THE DARK HEDGES + CARICK FURGUS CASTLE
Giant's Causeway and the Rope Bridge were interesting in that we were literally standing thousands of miles from home, looking out at an ocean that we would likely never see again, standing on a tiny dot of land that we would likely never step foot on again in our lifetime (with the exception of Callie who may go back some day). Crazy to think that we walked in places so very far away, and so very different from the life we've always known.
We headed back to the house. Devin and Davis went to play at a local course again that evening, so the girls and dad went to the local mall and ate at Nando's (free refills--another favorite!).
BELFAST: FINAL DAY
TITANIC Exhibit.......
After seeing the Titanic exhibit we went to the mall again as a group to eat at Nando's. The boys left to play at Rory McIlroy's home course (in the rain), and us girls took the other car to make the 2 hour drive to Dublin where we stayed at the Crowne Plaza. Since we got there early enough, we spent that evening shopping in the local strip mall and ate at a "Captain America" burger restaurant. The boys drove separately to Dublin and met us at the Crowne Plaza for our final night in Europe.
It was the fastest 12 days ever, and we saw literally as much as we could while we were there. Since that trip, and after evaluating everything we saw, our travel agent was amazed at how much we were able to see. Most days we were driving the equivalent of SLC to St George to get to our destination. So worth it! We truly wouldn't change a single thing about this entire trip!
The following morning we checked out by 9:30 and left for the Dublin airport. Our flight flew from Dublin to JFK (where we happily ate American food again!!) and then flew home to Salt Lake. Landing in New York felt like we had been on another planet. It was weird just dropping back into our daily routine again, as if we hadn't been completely disconnected from everything for almost 2 weeks. Yet at the same time it was such a FAST trip!
(To remember on our final day: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! Our fearless trip planner!!!)
(Also to remember: the tiny little gummy bears who made their mommies so sick (think synchronized nausea/vomiting) are now a growing baby boy Warnock and baby girl Gardner, due December 25th and January 4th)
And finally, a HUGE THANKS to mom and dad for their generosity and thorough planning of this trip. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip!! And of course, thanks to Callie for providing the reason to go!
EUROPE
MAY 10-MAY 22
